Not So 7th Heaven
by musicnutftw
Summary: Raina Highwind is Cid's niece. She has a head for airships and a strange past that leads her uncle to be very protective. When she meets Cloud and his friends, she delves into the past she's tried so hard to forget in order to fight for the future she so desperately wants.
1. Chapter 1

I remember the day the rain fell all over. I remember the feel of the Stigma disappearing from my body. I remember getting better. And I remember what happened next…like it was yesterday.

…

"Raina, answer the damn door!"

I pulled my hair back, sighing. My uncle preferred yelling at me rather than just talking like a normal person. It was almost endearing. Almost.

Getting to my feet, I stretched as high as I could, feeling returning to my feet. Being crouched down, fixing airship parts was a pain, really. At the same time, there was little I enjoyed more.

"Raina!"

"I'm on it!" I shouted, shaking my head. "Impatient old goat."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" I called, smiling. Tromping down the steps that led to the front door of the ship, I wondered who would be knocking. There weren't many people brave enough to venture this far out of Edge anymore.

I pushed open the door to find a man standing there. His eyes were the bluest blue I'd ever seen, and his hair was spiky and yellow. I felt my heart skip a beat. He might have been the most handsome man I'd ever met.

"Um, hi," I said, swallowing and remembering my manners. "Can I help you?"

The man's eyes darted behind me for a moment before saying, "Is Cid here?"

"Yeah. Cid!" I called, turning to look back inside the ship. "Guy here for you."

"Who the hell is it?!" he shouted back.

I turned back to the man whose expression hadn't changed. So serious…. He stared at me, and I wondered if he hadn't heard my uncle's shout. "What's your name?" I asked, feeling a little uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Cloud," he said, his voice low and soft.

"Cloud!" I shouted behind me.

There was a clanking sound, and then Cid said, "#$%*! Send him in!"

I stepped aside, gesturing for Cloud to enter. He nodded his head at me, walking past me. I shut the door behind us, leading the way into the heart of the ship. I climbed up the steps and onto the bridge where my uncle was rubbing his head with one hand.

"Cloud! You bastard, how've you been?"

"Fine," Cloud said, shrugging.

I stretched again, figuring I'd leave my uncle and the handsome stranger to their own business. Before I could even take a step, Cid said, "Cloud, this is my niece, Raina."

Cloud looked at me for a long moment, his serious expression and steady gaze making me uneasy again.

"Hiya," I said, trying to ease the weird feeling in the air. He didn't say anything, just let my word fall between us.

Finally, he smiled a little. "Hey."

I had to stop my eyes from popping out of my head. That smile. My face flamed bright red, and I coughed a little, pretending that was the cause.

"She was pretty sick up until you took care of Sephiroth that last time. The Stigma and all."

Cloud nodded. "You had it too, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah. That rain that fell healed me, though." I sighed. "It felt like the touch of an old friend."

"It did," he said, closing his eyes for a moment before turning to Cid. "Barret wanted to know if he could use your airship for something."

"Why didn't the bastard come here himself to ask?" Cid said, reaching for the wrench he kept in his belt. He tossed it up in the air, catching it.

Cloud shrugged. "He's busy."

"Yeah, well…Raina!"

I jumped, something dropping from my hand and hitting floor with a sharp sound. My knees give out, and I fall, blinking in shock. I'd unconsciously been holding my Bahamut materia while listening to my uncle and Cloud.

With one swift move, I scooped the materia into my pocket, pressing a hand to my forehead. "I'm sorry," I whispered, getting to my feet. "I didn't even realize."

"You shouldn't keep that damn thing with you," Cid said, shaking his head.

I shrugged. "It's comforting."

"When you die of Mako poisoning, don't blame me."

"Bite me," I muttered, pulling the ribbon out of my hair and then putting it up again. Nervous habit.

"Mako poisoning?" Cloud asked.

"It's a long story," I said, sighing. "Maybe I'll tell you some day."

He looked at me for an unsettling moment, and I found my hand instinctively going for the materia again before I realized what I was doing. I narrowed my eyes, turning and heading to the pilot's seat so I could continue working on adjusting the sensitivity of the controls.

Airships were so much easier to understand than attractive men with cool expressions and intense gazes.


	2. Chapter 2

"Girl!"

"Old man!" I called in response.

"Get your #$% up! We've got some flying to do." Cid came into the engine room where I was taking a break from the tedious tweaks and quirks of mechanics. Of course he had to come in when I was relaxing. He probably thought this airship just put itself together.

"What are we doing?" I said, getting to my feet.

"A friend of mine needs some help, so we're gonna meet him and talk out specifics."

"Sounds fun," I drawled.

"Come on." He paused. "Wash your face."

"Bite me," I muttered, pushing past him and into the airship's bathroom. There was oil all over my hands and a few streaks on my face. Nothing wrong with that, really. Perhaps not the best for first impressions, whoever these friends of Uncle Cid's were.

I turned on the water and proceeded to scrub the signs of my hard work from my face and hands. All clean. Now Cid had nothing to yell at me for…for about a minute.

"Raina!"

"Whaaaaat?" I whined. I didn't even get a minute, apparently.

"Hurry up, Cloud's waiting." Cloud. Unbidden, an image of spiky yellow hair and blue eyes popped into my head. I sighed. Mustn't keep that guy waiting.

"Cid, have you…." My words dropped off as I rounded the corner and came face to face with Cloud himself. "Oh, uh sorry." I backpedaled a few steps. "Have you seen Cid?"

"No," Cloud said. "You're not going to fly this, are you?"

"This?" I gestured to the space around us. "This ship won't be ready to fly for a while. Too many little things. I think we're going to walk."

He looked around. "Then I might as well go now."

I frowned. "How did you get here?"

"My bike," he said.

I laughed. "I hope you don't mean a bicycle."

"Not hardly."

"Raina, where are you!?" Cid shouted.

"Right here," I replied. "With Cloud."

Cid came from the engine room, shaking his head. "Let's go." We followed Cloud out of the ship, and I saw what he meant by bike. A sleek, black motorcycle was waiting at the foot of the walkway.

"Nice bike," I muttered, and Cloud laughed. I looked up at him, surprised. He didn't seem like the type to laugh so easily. A smile still lingered on his face as he walked over to his bike, straddling it and sliding on a pair of sunglasses.

"I'll meet you there," he said to Cid before revving the bike and taking off.

Cid shook his head. "He never changes."

I sighed. "Cid, where are we going?"

…

The closer we went to the heart of town, the more I wished I was back with my ship. When I was little, I'd been a social butterfly, wanting to talk to and meet everyone. After my father had died, I'd shut down a little. And then….

I shuddered. Some things weren't for remembering so easily. I reached for the materia in my pocket, brushing the smooth, round surface just once, feeling the dizzying jolt of Mako.

"Denzel!" a little voice said.

Up ahead, a young girl and boy were playing in front of a building that bore a sign reading "7th Heaven". The boy laughed at the girl, a great big smile on his face.

Just then, a woman walked out of 7th Heaven, her hands on her hips. "Marlene, Denzel, come on inside. Cid should be here soon." She looked from the kids to where my uncle and I stood, her face brightening. "Cid!"

"Hey, there, Tifa," Cid said, grinning.

"Hi, Cid." She turned to look at me, her shiny black hair swishing. "Who's this?"

"My niece, Raina." Cid pushed me forward, and I stumbled, righting myself just before I fell.

"Geez," I muttered. I looked at the beautiful young woman in front of me. She was wearing a blank tank top and black shorts. That and the lean lines of her body seemed to scream that she was a fighter. This woman had seen her share of hardships.

"I'm Raina," I said, offering her my hand.

She took it, shaking firmly, a smile on her face. "I'm Tifa. Nice to meet you." She seemed so cheerful. It made me feel a little happier just to be around her. That was when I noticed the two kids hiding behind her.

"Denzel and Marlene, you said?" Tifa nodded, and I smiled. "Hi, guys."

"Are you really Cid's niece?" the boy asked, frowning. His moppy brown hair was pretty cute.

"I am," I said.

"Where were you when everyone was fighting last time?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Last time…."

"When the Stigma was here!"

"She was sick," Cid said. Denzel's gaze shifted to my uncle. "She had the Stigma too."

"That didn't stop Cloud from fighting," Denzel replied. He gave me a dark look.

"Denzel, that's rude." Tifa shook her head. "Go inside." The boy ran into the building, and Tifa sighed. "Sorry. He's a little distrusting of strangers."

"I don't blame him," I replied.

"Well, everyone's waiting," Tifa said. "Come on. I'll introduce you."

"Where's that bastard, Barret?" Cid called. "I got business to talk with him."

"He's downstairs," Tifa said as we followed her through the door.

It turned out that 7th Heaven was a bar. There was a great long bar behind which was a few taps and a row of shining glass mugs. It was dark inside and all the tables and chairs were made of wood. All in all, it wasn't a bad space.

In the center of the room was a large table around which a few people were gathered. I recognized Cloud but not the girl who was talking to him. She had short black hair and a kid's face. Energy bounced from every inch of her…and she had was wearing the coolest shoes I'd ever seen.

There was a strange red animal, almost a dog, but with feline features laying near the table. It almost looked like it was listening to Cloud and the girl's conversation. Another man with dark hair sat there, his hands folded, an amused smile on his face.

"Hey, everyone, Cid's here." Tifa waved at the table, and all eyes fell on Cid and me.


	3. Chapter 3

Cid scratched his head, waving at the table full of people. "Hey, y'all."

"Who's that?" the girl with short hair asked, pointing at me.

"This is Raina, Cid's niece," Tifa said, her smile the only thing keeping me from hiding my face. Too many eyes one me. The little girl, Marlene, headed deeper into the bar, leaving us to whatever we were here doing.

"Hey, where's Barret?" Cid said, looking at Tifa.

"Downstairs," she said.

Cid headed away, waving a hand at me. "Y'all treat her nice." I watched as he walked around the bar, my stomach dropping down to my feet. Thanks, Cid. Leave me in a room full of strangers. It's all good.

"Wait," I said, looking at Tifa. "I thought Cloud said Barret wasn't here."

"That's the only way to get Cid here without a lot of shouting," Tifa said, smiling. She put her hands on her hips. "Now let's introduce you to everyone, shall we."

She headed over to the table where the short-haired girl eyed me with interest. "Raina, this is Yuffie," Tifa said, gesturing to the girl.

"Hi, I'm Yuffie!" she said, bouncing up to me and offering her hand. I shook it.

"Nice to meet you. And, um, nice boots."

She looked down at her feet, grinning. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Kicking," I muttered, a small smile on my face. Another happy person. Though much bouncier than Tifa.

The man with dark hair stood, offering me his hand. "I'm Reeve. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too," I said, barely refraining from adding "sir" to the end of it. Something about him screamed mature adult. Maybe even businessman.

"You've met Cloud," Tifa said, gesturing to the spikey-haired man who sat with his arms crossed, a serious expression on his face.

He nodded at me, and I nodded back, uncertain. He looked so foreboding.

"Lighten up, Cloud, or you'll scare the new girl," Yuffie said, bouncing at my side.

He laughed. "Right."

"It's fine," I said, blushing. "He couldn't scare me." He raised an eyebrow at me, and I spluttered, "Well, I mean, you know."

"Relax, young lady." Reeve said, a hand on my shoulder. "We're all more bark than bite."

"Except for Red," Yuffie giggled.

"Very funny." I blinked in surprise, looking down at the strange animal on the floor, my eyes wide.

"Raina, this is Red XIII, though we usually just call him Red."

"A pleasure," the animal said, getting to his feet and making a sweeping gesture with one paw.

"Likewise," I said, trying to make the surprise fade from my face. It seemed, uh…rude.

"Well, take a seat," Tifa said, gesturing to a chair next to Yuffie and Red XIII. "Do you want a drink?" She frowned. "I don't actually know if you're old enough for alcohol."

I smiled. "I don't drink anyway."

"All right," she said, smiling.

"Waaaaait," Yuffie whined. "How old are you? I want to know if I'm still the youngest."

"Twenty-one," I said, smiling. "Recently."

"Dang it!" she shouted.

"Don't be in such a hurry to get old," Tifa said, smiling.

Yuffie stuck out her tongue. "You can say that because you're not the youngest."

"She's not exactly the oldest either," Reeve said, smiling.

"Who is?" Yuffie said, frowning.

"Technically, that's probably—"

"Me." I jumped at the sound of a very deep voice. All eyes flew to the entrance to the bar where a strangely dressed man with terrifying red eyes stood. He had a red cape and a claw where one hand should be.

"Vincent," Tifa said, getting to her feet. "I thought you couldn't make it."

"Plans changed. Turns out I'm free." He walked over to the table, pulling out a chair and settling next to Cloud. His eyes fell on me.

"Vincent, this is Raina." Tifa gestured between the two of us.

Vincent nodded and I said, "Hi, I'm Cid's niece."

"A pleasure." His low voice sent shivers through me.

"Well, I'm glad you could make it. Barret's going to need all the help he can get with this one." Tifa got to her feet, looking around her.

Just then, a door slammed open from somewhere inside the bar. Cid stepped from around the bar followed by a huge black man with…a gun where his hand should have been. My uncle's friends were impressive. And frightening.

"All right, y'all, Barret's here!" the black man shouted. "And Cid's all in."

"Define all in," I said, looking at my uncle.

"I told this #$ he could use my airship," Cid said, smiling.

"Little #$%&," Barret yelled.

"Hey, if you're gonna start yelling, get out of my bar," Tifa said, getting to her feet and dropping her hands to her hips.

"Yes, ma'am," Cid said, snapping a salute.

"All right, let's get this damn thing started!" Barret yelled. A dirty look from Tifa made him quiet down. "Turns out this world ain't lookin for oil. We need something new! So, the other day, that #$ Rufus called me up. Said he's found something that'll help us out."

"Only problem is, he needs some muscle to get to it. Says it's guarded by some monsters. So, I'm gonna need a few men to talk with Rufus and his men, get the information from him. The rest of us can do the actual foot work. Who's in?"

"My ship, I'm comin!" Cid called.

"Fine. Who else?"

"I have no qualms with speaking with Rufus," Reeve said.

"I'll accompany you," Red XIII said. "No sense in soiling my paws in this."

"A'ight. Cloud, you comin to fight?"

"Sure," Cloud said. "We can take Vincent too."

"That's fine by me," Vincent said.

"I'll hold down the fort," Tifa said. "I've got a lot of paperwork from the delivery business to take care of anyway."

"Raina, you stay here," Cid said.

"Fine by me." The name Rufus had given me shivers. They couldn't possibly mean….

"I'll stay too! I wanna get to know the new girl better!" Yuffie grabbed my arm, jumping up and down. "Woo!"

"Calm down, Yuffie, you're scaring her." Cloud shook his head, and Yuffie sighed.

"Fine." Mercifully, she let me go. I sighed in relief, and everyone laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept somewhere that wasn't either in an airship or my bed at home. Tifa had offered up her room for Yuffie and I to share with her while the men slept downstairs. Tomorrow was the day they'd all head out to…do whatever it was they had planned. The details were fuzzy after everything that had happened today.

I was awake, counting the wood panels in the ceiling. Nothing could get me to sleep just now. With a sigh, I sat up. Might as well get some water. Perhaps that would help me find rest.

My steps were careful, lest I wake Tifa or Yuffie. The younger girl snored a little. It was almost cute. I tiptoed across the wooden floorboards and closed the door behind me. The only water I knew of was down the stairs, in the kitchen that was behind the bar.

As I made my way down, I heard some voices coming from the main room. Some of the men were still up. When I hit the landing, I caught my uncle's voice clearly.

"Yeah, orphan." I paused, mid-stride. Was he talking about me?

"What happened to her parents?" That sounded like Reeve.

"Her mother died shortly after having her. Her father died in the war with Wutai." Cid's voice wavered slightly, and I wondered if he was remembering his brother. He used to tell me stories from their childhood. I knew they had been close.

"It is a pity." That one must have been Red. "You have taken care of her ever since?"

"Yeah. She's been a handful, and I did a #$% job of looking out for her."

I felt my heart pounding in my chest. Cid had done everything he could to look out for me, and I was beyond grateful. It had all been my fault. My hand reached for the materia I always carried with me, but it wasn't there. I'd set it in my shoes before bed. That was likely a good thing.

"Why does she carry that materia with her?" Cloud, this time. Was everyone up asking for stories of my past?

"It's Bahamut. She's…bonded with it."

"Bonded?" Reeve asked.

"It's a long story. Even I don't know all the details. Makes her sick, though, if she touches it too long."

"Mako poisoning?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah. Her whole body's laced with the stuff. Too much."

I felt my body start to tremble, and I had to grasp the stair rail to hold myself up. It all threatened to rush back in, every memory I'd ever suppressed, every nightmare I'd ever dreamed. I swallowed back bile, tears in my eyes.

With swift, light steps, I rushed back up the stairs, and stopping at the foot of my bed. I reached under it, pulling out my shoes. There it was…that stupid materia. I picked it up, and opened the window beside my bed. I pulled my arm back, and let loose as hard as I could.

If only. I looked at the materia that still rested in my hand, tears falling down my cheeks. With a sigh, I tucked the materia into one of my shoes again before lying down on that bed. I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

…

_What a waste of JENOVA cells._

_ Ah, the test subject has returned._

_ It will only hurt worse if you struggle more._

…

_ I won't let them hurt you._

I sat up, my heart pounding and head spinning. It was just a dream. Even her voice. I sighed, getting to my feet. The sun was shining brightly through the window. Someone must have closed it this morning because I'd forgotten to last night.

Yuffie was still snoring in bed, but Tifa wasn't here. Maybe she was downstairs already. I slipped on my shoes, pocketing my materia. After a few stretches and light exercises, I headed downstairs.

There was a fantastic smell coming from the kitchen. I followed it to find Tifa and the little girl dashing around, cooking. I stepped inside, leaning against the wall.

"G'morning," Tifa said, noticing me.

"Good morning. It smells great. Any way I can help?"

"We're just about done," Tifa said, smiling.

"I'll clean up after, then."

"That'd be great." Tifa walked past me, a pan of bacon in her hands. I walked over to where some eggs were boiling.

"It's still hot." I looked down to find the girl looking up at me.

"Marlene, right?" She nodded, looking a little wary.

"Are you Tifa's daughter?"

She shook her head. "Barret's my papa."

I blinked in surprise. "Barret?"

"Yeah. He's not really my dad, but he's the only one I have."

"Oh." I nodded. "I know how that is. Cid's my uncle, but he's the closest to a dad I've had."

"Marlene! Turn off the eggs!" Tifa called.

"All right." Marlene reached up, turning off the stove. I stepped to one side as Tifa and the little girl rushed around, finishing up breakfast. Finally, Tifa clapped her hands together.

"All set. Marlene, go get Denzel. I'll wake Yuffie. Raina, if you'd bring all this out to the front room, that'd be great."

I smiled. "No problem." Once the two had stepped out, I picked up some dishes, making one trip after another to get everything onto a big table in the front of the bar. Once that was done, I noticed a pair of eyes on me.

"Denzel, right?" I said, looking at the young boy.

"And the coward."

I flinched. "I'm no coward."

"Then why don't you fight? You stayed behind today. You weren't there when everyone fought last time."

"I stayed behind today because my uncle asked me to. I was sick last time. Dying of the Stigma."

He looked surprised at this. "You had the Stigma?"

"Yeah. And it nearly killed me."

He was silent for a long moment. "Can you fight?"

"I can," I said. "Maybe I'll show you some day."

Tifa, Marlene, and Yuffie came down the stairs a moment later with Yuffie looking like she was still asleep. "Time for breakfast," Tifa said.

"Yay!" Yuffie cheered, a yawn stretching her mouth wide.

We all sat down, and I felt Denzel's gaze soften toward me. Maybe some of that animosity he'd held for me had died. I could only hope.


	5. Chapter 5

"Um, Raina?"

I stuck my head out from beneath the sink, a wrench in my hand, my hair pulled back with a blue ribbon. "What's up?"

"What are you doing?" Tifa asked. She was standing there, a smile on her face and hands on her hips.

"Your…faucet was leaking? And the water pressure was low."

She laughed. "Anything else you want to fix here?"

"What else is broken?"

…

Yuffie followed me around all day, chattering in my ear. I'd never met someone so curious in my life. She wanted to know everything about everything, and all I wanted was to work.

Whenever my mind was filled with too many things, I needed to work. Fixing things was preferred. Organizing things and moving things was all right. So, after I fixed the faucet this morning, Tifa has given me a list of other things in the bar that needed fixing and some other tools aside from the ones I carried with me to use.

Yes. I carry tools with me.

"Where are you from?"

"Rocket Town."

"When's your birthday?

"April 5."

"What's y—"

"Where are you from, Yuffie?" I asked, if only to stop the barrage of questions.

"Wutai," she said, smiling. I almost dropped my wrench.

"Oh. I-is that so?"

"Yep. I'm a Wutai ninja, you know."

"My father died in the last war against Wutai." I looked down at my hands, wishing I was back on my airship. Or even out adventuring with Cid. Anything rather than being with one of the people whose friends and family could have been responsible for my father's death.

"I knew a lot of people who died in that war," Yuffie said, her voice losing its energy for the first time since I'd met her.

I was an idiot for bringing up this topic. Surely, she knew so many more people who died during that than I did. I looked down at my wrench, sighing. I tossed it into the tool chest Tifa had lent me.

"Give it a kick," I said, looking up at Yuffie.

"What?"

"Kick it," I said, gesturing at the washer I'd just fixed. Yuffie frowned. "Just do it."

She kicked it gently. "Like that?"

"Kick it, girl!" I shouted, and she kicked hard. Suddenly, the washer sprang to life, a rumbling noise filling the small room.

I laughed, and Yuffie smiled. "That's more like it." I turned off the washer. "What else shall we fix?"

"Duck!" I swung my sword, and Denzel ducked. "Now block me!" Denzel raised his own sword, something that Barret had bought for him, apparently. Denzel said he'd been told it was never too early to start learning to defend yourself. It made sense to me.

"Hey, Raina, Denzel, everyone's home!" Marlene popped her head out of the back door of the bar to call for us.

"All right, we'll be in soon," I said, and she slipped back inside. "Let's head in, Denzel. We can pick back up on this later."

"Sure," he said, shrugging. He sheathed his sword and I did the same, slipping it into my belt. We walked inside to find everyone gathered around the same table as the first night I'd met them.

"And we didn't even find nothing!" Barret yelled.

"Perhaps Shinra really has no clue what he's looking for," Red XIII said.

"Just a way to redeem himself," Cloud said.

"It'll take a lot more than just some energy source for that," Cid said. He looked up at me, gesturing for me to come stand near him. I walked over, crossing my arms.

"So, the whole trip was a dud?" I asked.

"Basically," Cloud replied.

I laughed. "Wow, that's great. Shinra doing what he does best. Screwing with people."

"You know Rufus?" Tifa asked.

"Oh." I grimaced. "Sort of. There's history there. Um. I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, anyway, Shinra paid us, so we can afford to fix this place up a little," Barret said.

"Actually Raina's been fixing things all week, so there isn't much to do," Tifa said.

"So, I can blow it on gambling and crap? All right, Cid, let's go!" Barret leaped up from his seat, grabbing my uncle's shoulder.

"No." Tifa gave Barret nothing more than a stern look, but it was enough to get him back in his seat. "We can divvy it up between everyone who went, and you can spend it how you see fit."

"Sensible," Reeve said, smiling. He handed Tifa the money and I watched as she quickly divided it between Cloud, Cid, Vincent, Reeve, Red, and Barret. One day, I would learn to be half as confident as she was. Until then, I would just sit back and let the world move around me.


End file.
